Selena Gomez opens up about being diagnosed with lupus

This is why she took that break from her career last time

Selena Gomez had her break into stardom when she was a little girl. Now 23, she is one of the world's most famous young music artists. With that comes plenty of scrutiny, including haters on the Internet, who don't hesitate to call out flaws. What's more, she was diagnosed with lupus, prompting her to taking a break in her career to seek treatment. During that time, tabloids took her absence as the chance to spread addiction rumours.

"I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy. That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke," she told Billboard. "I wanted so badly to say, 'You guys have no idea. I'm in chemotherapy. You're assholes.' I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again."

"I'm so f---ing nice to everybody, and everyone is so vile to me. I've been working since I was 7. I've been a UNICEF ambassador since I was 17. It's so disappointing that I've become a tabloid story," she added. "The hate motivated me."

Selena is back with an album, Revival, which is aptly named. While she credits her friends – including and especially Taylor Swift – for bringing her out of her shell and empowering her, she gives no acclaim to ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber, who is now moving away from his previously disruptive behaviour.

"No. This is my time. I've deserved this," she asserts of her comeback. "I earned it. This is all me."